What is the best alternative to&#x20;Titan Quest?

The combat in NieR: Automata is fantastic. It has a hack-and-slash feel to it, with an emphasis on agility and showy acrobatics. With the fluid and responsive controls, you can switch seamlessly from using swift attacks with your weapon to devastatingly strong attacks as you combo them together. You also use customizable ranged missile attacks from your personal robot pod, such as powerful laser beams or a giant hammer attack. It can be difficult to win battles sometimes, especially on the harder gameplay settings, but it's worthwhile to keep at it and watch yourself progress and improve. See More

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score 516 · Answer 2

NieR: Automata

Top Pro

Fast-paced, action-packed combat

Top Con

Limited open world

Even though NieR: Automata is technically an open world game, it doesn't always feel like it. It's more that there's a big open space in the center of the ruined city you explore, with branches that lead off to vastly different environments, like a desert, a village, and a few other places. These locations aren't that spacious, either, and it's a bit of a stretch to even imagine all of these places being so close together in the first place. It's not too much of an issue as long as you find the story and combat engaging enough. See More

Top Pro

Unique storytelling with a real emotional impact

NieR: Automata's outlook on storytelling is incredibly special. To get the full experience, you have to run multiple playthroughs of the game, each of which offers a new experience and perspective. Your world view of the story events and characters expands drastically as you complete each playthrough, playing on your expectations to help you develop a deeper emotional bond with the protagonists and become invested in their plight. Things take a real turn on your third playthrough, putting you on an emotional roller coaster all the way to the true ending. The plot twists and knocks on the fourth wall elevate the story to a truly unique place. Getting all the way to the very end can be a religious experience from how much heart and meaning you discover in the symbolism. See More

Top Con

Second playthrough can get repetitive

Once you get to Route B, your second playthrough, you may find that too much is the same. There are some big differences, such as the new way you get to see things play out, but a lot of it rehashes Route A, your first playthrough. There's a ton of hacking you have to do as well, which gets pretty boring after repeating it over and over again. But if you stick with it, Route C and onward are absolutely worth the time spent getting to that point. See More

Top Pro

It's got a hauntingly beautiful environment

NieR: Automata is set in a post-apocalyptic landscape after Earth has been overrun by hostile machines, and the artists really nailed what that would feel like. Abandoned and overgrown cities litter the landscape along with old refineries, graveyards, and eerie forests. When you add the beautiful soundtrack to the experience, it fills you with a bittersweet mix of loneliness and hope. See More

Top Con

Some boring fetch quests

The pacing gets messed up when you're forced to run certain fetch quests near the start of the game. This is somewhat forgivable after the fun and action-packed introductory level, but the quests themselves are still a drag to play through. Some of the side quests can also boil down to the same thing. Even though these quests give a lot of useful information about the world, they're not all that fulfilling, and you may dread having to repeat them when playing through the game again. See More

Top Pro

Varied genre-spanning gameplay elements

NieR: Automata has different types of gameplay to keep things interesting. From the very start, you're on an on-rails bullet hell section, and then you switch over to the more traditional action RPG style of fast-paced combat. Things change up again not long after with some side-scrolling platforming from a 2D view. Later on in the story, there's a hacking mini-game where you navigate a tiny ship through a short puzzle, with the music changing to a charming retro sound to fit the theme and mood. This is a game that doesn't stay boxed in a single genre. See More

Top Con

Buggy on PC

Some players complain about the game crashing, freezing, their save files mysteriously disappearing, and more. As of June 2018, over a year after the game's initial release, there is still no patch to fix these problems. Not everyone on PC will have these bugs, but it's still quite prevalent. If you continually run into issues, your best bet is to find a mod or play the console versions instead of waiting on an official patch that may never happen. See More

Top Pro

An incredible amount of content

Outside of the main story, there's plenty of optional content to dive into. The side quests are the best way to get to know the characters and lore of the world, with some of them giving clever and subtle foreshadowing of the game's most critical events. There are also weapons to collect and upgrade, each of which offer nice little tidbits of lore after you get them to max level. And after reaching a certain point in the story, you get access to Chapter Select that lets you go back and replay whatever you want. You can easily spend 60+ hours exploring the world and still have much more to do. See More

Top Pro

Gorgeous, ethereal soundtrack with amazing vocals

NieR: Automata's music is out of this world. It's so stunning and elegant in a way that nothing else can really live up to. The soundtrack manages to emotionalize the game through music, from the action-packed tracks with hard-hitting wind instruments and percussion, to the softer, somber songs that encapsulate the hauntingly beautiful environments and story moments you encounter. Vocals in the lore's indescribable language makes the music even more memorable, adding to the ethereal quality of the sound. This soundtrack is definitely one that you can go back to again and again without getting sick of it. See More

Specs

Platforms:Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Genre:Action Role-Playing

Shadow of War uses the Nemesis system to create a more immersive and alive-feeling world. Thanks to it, orc leaders have names, ranks, titles, tribes they belong to, and most importantly, connections to other orc leaders. For example, an orc leader might be at war with another orc leader. This conflict won't end until one of them dies. There are also orcs that are considered blood brothers, having unwavering loyalty to each other. Because of this, don't be too surprised if you ever get betrayed by one of your followers that's trying to do right by his blood brother. Additionally, the leaders you fight will also develop connections with you. Orcs that you've killed or spared, may come back with scars, recalling your previous encounter and vowing to exact vengeance. Orcs that you've escaped from will mock you for being a chicken, and so forth. The gradual creation of this web of connections is very enjoyable and sometimes even more compelling than the game's main story. See More

516 80

score 62 · Answer 3

Middle-earth: Shadow of War

Top Pro

Character connections make for a compelling experience

Top Con

Can get repetitive

The overall gameplay formula doesn't change much over the course of the game. You fight orcs, take over strongholds, upgrade your character, and collect blips on the world map. After a while it can start feeling like a grind, especially during long play sessions. This is made worse in the final stretch of the game where you have to fight through 20 consecutive stronghold battles without any story segments or exposition. See More

Top Pro

Addictive gear collection fuels your thirst for orc blood

As you kill orc leaders, they'll drop random quality gear items, ranging from common rarity every-orc weapons/armor to legendary rarity artifacts with unique names. Each item serves to improve your character, providing various stat increases and damage bonuses. You can also upgrade gear with gems or via challenges that usually involve killing orcs, bolstering your strength even further. On top of that, there are set bonuses for legendary items, giving you special abilities such as your hits applying explosive poison on regular enemies. It's very exciting seeing what gear piece an orc leader will drop once you lob his head off, causing you to constantly seek out new victims. See More

Top Con

Unskippable cutscenes disrupt the flow of the gameplay

Every time an orc leader enters the screen, there is an unskippable cutscene where he rambles a bit, focusing the camera on him and halting combat until the cutscene ends. This usually happens as you're fighting another enemy, potentially disrupting your rhythm, which can be really frustrating, especially if mess up your combo or take an unnecessary hit after the cutscene. See More

Top Pro

Satisfying combat

Shadow of War gives one of the better feeling combat systems in recent times, allowing you to be either stealthy or go for direct confrontations. If you choose to be stealthy, you can skewer unsuspecting orcs from behind with your dagger, drop onto them from a building while impaling them with your sword, or just pierce them from afar with your bow. If you choose a direct confrontation, it's a really quick-paced and brutal showdown against your enemies with your chosen melee weapon. You weave combos against enemies, dodging, parrying, and countering enemy attacks, which ends in a devastating finishing move, resulting in a mutilated or decapitated orc. Whichever method you choose, the combat flows really well and you always feel like a force to be reckoned with. See More

Top Pro

You can lead an orc army and expand your own dominion

As part of the Nemesis system, you can recruit orc leaders after you've bested them in combat. Each one has his own unique strengths and weaknesses, so making the best possible army for conquering enemy territories might take a while. For example, an orc leader can be completely immune to ranged attacks, but can take increased damage from explosions. You should take such an orc leader on assaults against fortresses filled with archers but be wary of the slightest hints of any bombs. Once you've finished building a sizeable force, you can assault a fortresses. If you succeed in the assault, you'll take over a territory, allowing you to install your own orc leader as the ruler. With enough effort you'll gradually take over Mordor and its surrounding lands. Shadow of War makes you feel like a recruiter, general, and a ruler, which is very empowering and a lot of fun. See More

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score 337 · Answer 4

Grim Dawn

Top Pro

Complex leveling system with thousands of possible builds

Basically you choose 1 class and select skills as you level up. At level 10 you can select a second class, which already gives you 5x5=25 character type possibilities. Each character has dozens of skills, plus you have this additional passive skill tree that you unlock through cleansing shrines. Then there is item customization with crafted "modifiers", adding additional unique stats and skills that you can use, all this adds literally to thousands / millions of character possibilities. Do you want to use a double weapon shooting lightning bolts? You can do that. Do you want to summon your creatures and support them with fireballs? You can do that as well, you can push it wherever you want. See More

Top Con

Only some builds are fun

There is a definite meta, with superefficient vs non-viable builds. It's easy to mess up a build, and attribute and spec-bar points are non-respeccable (you can use a cheat editor, but devs want you to reroll a new char). See More

Top Pro

Great homage to old school ARPGs

This game is very dark, and grim. It harkens back to games like Diablo 2 or Titans Quest. While other ARPGs have come out since then, none have hit all the marks of what fans of the genre have been asking for. For those that wish for an updated version of Diablo 2, Grim Dawn is the game for them. See More

Top Con

Difficult to move when fighting, especially when you are ranged

Top Pro

Exploration

Top Con

Static pre-rendered levels

This may cut down on replayability a bit as all the levels in the game are pre-rendered, meaning that each playthrough will have the exact same layout, making for something that can get tiring and too familiar. Similar games have gone with randomized levels, which can keep the game fresh. While Grim Dawn is meant to be a throwback to earlier games in the genre, some newer features found in more recent released would have been welcome. See More

Top Pro

Highly modifiable

Relevant in modern gaming because the community can keep products like this fresh and varied, even if the developers eventually decide to slow down their updates (which they have not!). The possibilities are great with modding, while the experiences in Diablo 3 and Path of exile are a lot more static. See More

Top Con

Lots of trips to town

The majority of loot in the game can be useless, with odd stat restrictions or repeats of vendor items. This means the user will need to make many trips into town to sell it all off in order to have room for even more loot they will not necessarily need. See More

Top Pro

Drop-in co-op (online and local)

Co-op is pretty convenient as players can drop in and out of your gaming session at any time. This way there is no wasted time jumping out of ones game in order to find players to play with. See More

Specs

Genre:Action / RPG / Hack n' Slash

Co-Op:4 Player Online / 4 Player LAN

Controller Support:Full

Whether you played the first Overcooked or not, Overcooked 2 is easy to figure out right from the get-go. The recipes for each dish are familiar even if you're not much of a chef, so you can remember which raw ingredients you need as you make your way around the kitchen and work with your co-op partner(s). Once you play a few rounds, you should have a good handle on things, helping you focus on getting everything done as quickly as possible from there on out. See More

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score 67 · Answer 5

Overcooked 2

Top Pro

Simple to pick up and learn

Top Con

Can be incredibly frustrating

Trying to work at such a fast pace with so many obstacles and general mayhem going on at once can wear on you after a while. There's a lot to keep track of at once, and it's easy for things to spiral out of control as your mistakes pile up. If your group isn't doing well and you're running out of time, you might find yourself losing your patience with your team and yelling at them. This might not be the game for you if you don't have a team that's willing to be patient and cooperative with each other, even when you're not doing so well during a particular round. See More

Top Pro

Hilariously fun couch and online co-op for up to four players

Playing Overcooked 2 with friends is the best. There's so much going on at once in the kitchen, with barriers moving in your way, hazards popping up like cars in the middle of the road separating the two halves of your area, and ingredients, dishes, and half-prepared dishes to move from one place to another. Working together and communicating with your friends through couch co-op or online play is a constant stream of laughter and excited shouting as you mess up, learn, and hopefully get things done. If you don't have anyone to play with, then you can hop online for matchmaking instead. See More

Top Con

Single-player isn't as fun as co-op

If you only want to play alone, then Overcooked 2 might not be the best game to pick. All the fast-paced fun from co-op mostly comes from communicating with your team and trying to pull off your task together before the time runs out. You control two characters at once while playing alone, but this still lacks the team-based chaos that makes the game so addicting. You could instead go online for matchmaking, though you might get paired with people who don't want to talk or work as an actual team. See More

Top Pro

Fast and frantic cooking action

Overcooked 2 is really fast-paced and keeps you on your toes. You play as a chef in a crazy kitchen with a ton of things going on all at once, with you mixing, preparing, and cooking in between the chaos of moving platforms and environmental obstacles. There's a time limit constantly ticking down at the bottom of the screen; finishing your tasks on time or ahead of schedule earns you a better score in the end. Tossing ingredients to your teammates across the kitchen, or across the moving platforms or obstacles like bodies of water, is a fresh new addition in this game that wasn't in the first Overcooked, making things even faster this time around. It's such a manic yet well-done mix of many different genres and ideas that all come together in the best ways. See More

Top Con

The controls are a bit sluggish

There's something about the controls that feels heavy and deliberate, and not necessarily in a good way. The feeling goes against the fast-paced nature of the gameplay that demands you in one place and then the next. If you played the first Overcooked, you may notice the difference right away. This change shouldn't be too much of a hassle, though it's still noticeable. See More

Specs

Platforms:PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Windows

Genre:Simulation, Action, Platformer

Co-Op:2-4 Player Local / 2-4 Player Online

You'll immediately notice how nice it feels to attack the enemies with each slash, strike and shot having an impact behind it. Enemies will flinch, get thrown back and get suspended mid-air from your attacks, making it feel like you're always the dominant force. It's especially amusing seeing an enemy flail about and slamming it into the ground with your demonic arm. Some of the stylistic elements add fun as well. The prime example is Nero's greatsword the Red Queen, which is equipped with a motorcycle-like gear shift. You can use the gear shift mid-combo to add a flame effect to your sword. This increases your damage and the range of your combos and also looks very nice. It's especially awesome to see your character ascend in a whirlwind of flames. See More

67 12

score 34 · Answer 6

Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition

Top Pro

Fun combat

Top Con

Occasional difficulty spikes

Upon reaching the first boss you'll encounter the first difficulty spike. The boss attacks a lot faster and stronger than the enemies leading up to it. Messing up means you'll die in a couple of seconds, which can be really frustrating. Especially because you have to switch gears so suddenly and adapt to a new playstyle, where the enemy stands on equal footing. See More

Top Pro

Great soundtrack

Most of the battle music has the lyrical styling of progressive rock while mixing in dark electronica guitar riffs. It matches the rhythm and speed of the battles really well, spurring on your combos and devastating attacks. The exploration sections and cutscenes have an entirely different style of music. It ranges from divine vocals accompanied with organ music to eerie pieces with harp and piano sounds creating a bone-chilling ambience. See More

Top Con

Recycled stage designs and lack of character-specific bosses

Capcom basically just slapped on the 3 new characters (Lady, Trish, and Vergil) and they suffer the same problems that Dante does, and that's lack of bosses designed specifically for their toolset. They run through the same bosses and levels instead of getting unique missions. See More

Top Pro

Highest level of combat depth in any hack and slash game

An open-ended cancelling system (Jump Cancelling) stacked with individual character mechanics (Dante styles and style/weapon switching, Nero ACT and parries, Vergil being Vergil, Lady and Trish are the weakest in terms of combo-ability of the 5 but you can still style with them) and system physics create a combat masterpiece that rewards practice and creativity. See More

Top Pro

There's a bunch of stuff to do even after beating the game

You can replay the game on higher difficulties, try to find all the hidden missions or collect all the upgrades. You can even try to get the max style rank on all the missions. Doing any of these will award you extra collectibles or unlock new modes. There's also the The Bloody Palace, which is an arena consisting of 101 levels. Each level contains enemies and bosses found within the main game. The first few levels are quite easy, but each level becomes increasingly more difficult. Only the most skilled players can reach the end, giving you another goal to strive for. See More

34 2

score 22 · Answer 7

Mario Tennis Aces

Top Pro

Couch co-op with a friend is tons of fun

Playing with a friend right beside you makes the game much more enjoyable. Reacting to each other in real-time is just better than playing against a computer opponent. There's no online co-op -- only multiplayer matches against random people -- meaning you'll have to be in the same room together to play. See More

Top Con

Very wide skill gap between experienced and inexperienced players

Mario Tennis Aces can be unwelcoming to new players. While playing co-op or online, it's tough to catch up with everyone else who knows how to time their power shots with the meter. If you don't pick up on this mechanic fairly quickly, you may feel like you're getting left behind. You don't necessarily have to use the mechanic if you and a friend agree not to, but this sadly makes matches pretty dull. Running against computer opponents is a good way to get your feet wet before moving up to other levels of play. See More

Top Pro

Solid roster of Nintendo characters to play as

There's a good variety of characters you can play as. If you're familiar with first party Nintendo games, then you'll see a lot of familiar faces here, like Yoshi, Bowser, Donkey Kong, Luigi, Peach, and of course Mario. Everyone has their own playing styles, with bigger characters like Bowser and Donkey Kong favoring hard-hitting power shots, and others like Yoshi and Mario that have a more balanced approach. You can go with whichever style or character you prefer, practicing with them until you master everything. Getting to see all of these characters together in one game is great for fanservice as well. See More

Top Con

Limited gameplay options for solo players

If you're the type who prefers to game alone, then Mario Tennis Aces might not be for you. There's only one single-player mode, while the rest of the game is mostly dedicated to co-op and online play. The solo mode is also extremely short, clocking in at around four hours. Aside from that, there really isn't much else for you to do. See More

Top Pro

You can compete against others online in multiplayer

When you run out of single-player content to enjoy, you can hop online to play against random opponents. The main game mode is the tournaments you can play, which rewards you with special characters if you score well. Online connectivity is good too, especially with the choice to drop out of matches beforehand against players who have bad connections. Playing online is a really great way to test your skills and improve your play, since anyone you get matched with is an actual player who has their own strengths and weaknesses. See More

Top Con

Certain characters are locked behind online tournaments

The primary way to unlock new characters is to win tournaments, but this isn't entirely fair. They're only available for a limited amount of time, with the rewards changing from tournament to tournament. Even though some of these characters are in the actual game as opponents in the single-player adventure mode, you can't get access to them unless you unlock them through these tournaments. If you don't like playing online, or if you don't have the means to pay for Nintendo's online service once it's implemented later on in 2018, then you're basically out of luck. See More

Top Pro

Intense and engaging tennis matches

Mario Tennis Aces is incredibly addicting to play. Matches are fast-paced and exciting, with one particular mechanic that keeps things unpredictable. Every time you successfully hit the tennis ball to your opponent's end of the court, you build up a power meter that you can use in a couple of different ways. When you want to quickly finish off a match, you can slow down time and take aim at a vulnerable corner of your opponent's court for an instant win. Or, if they try to do that to you, you can instead expend some of your power meter to quickly reach the ball and hit it back. Things can get pretty tricky when you both use up your power meters at the same time, leading to some satisfying wins. See More

Top Con

Single-player adventure mode is pretty difficult

The game's adventure mode makes up for its short length with some real difficulty. It's a rough introduction to the gameplay, as some of the matches and bosses are really hard. There's plenty of variety to things, like courts that have certain hazards in your way and uneven terrain such as tall grass, as well as inventive boss designs like a giant squid that shoots out tennis ball-shaped blobs of ink. But all of these things can get quite overwhelming, especially if you're using the single-player mode to get better at the game. See More

Specs

Platforms:Nintendo Switch

Genre:Sports

Co-Op:2 Player Couch

It's frustrating when you spend several hours grinding quests for other inmates, collecting items, crafting, and carefully planning your escape, only to get caught by guards and lose all your items or killed. This effectively means you have to start over, wasting hours of your own time and days of in-game time. See More

22 2

score 72 · Answer 8

The Escapists 2

Top Con

Getting caught by guards can be overly punishing

Top Pro

Encourages experimentation and creativity

There is no right or wrong way to do anything, and it's entirely a risk vs reward scenario for anything you want to try. You are only limited by your creativity in escaping, as each prison has almost endless possibilities and encourages the player to make the best use of their inventory and be creative in handling every situation. Bed sheets can be used to cover cell windows from the prying eyes of guards, desks can be moved to reach out of reach vents, crafted tools can be used for various purposes such as breaking through walls or doors, and shovels can be used to dig holes. You can try to sneak around guards, or opt to hide in vents until they're out of sight. If you're feeling especially brave, you can even attempt to fight the guards and take their keys allowing easier access around the prison. See More

Top Con

Can feel grindy at times

Running around doing fetch quests for other inmates, or searching for crafting materials for hours on end can get stale after a while. See More

Top Pro

Good balance of game systems make for a rewarding simulation

Taking action in the game uses up your stamina, so you'll still have to make time for things like eating and sleeping if you want to have energy for things like digging through walls, fighting other inmates, or cutting through vents and gates. Items such as shovels and cutters have limited durability, so they can't be used endlessly. Raw materials can be found around the prison to craft items, or you can buy items from fences using money earned by running fetch quests for other inmates. No matter how you acquire them, crafting materials and finished goods are limited so you'll have to use your items wisely. Time is an important factor that has to be managed too, with certain activities having to be done at certain times. This limits the amount of time you have to roam the prison, since you have to show up for meal times and roll calls. Free time can be used to craft, roam the prison to determine the guard patterns, or finally put your ultimate escape plan into action. Juggling each and every one of the various aspects of the game results in a very deep and rewarding simulation experience. See More

Top Con

Tutorial doesn't cover much

The tutorial will only walk you through the barest of basics, resulting in the player having to learn the game's various mechanics on their own. See More

Top Pro

Solid progression of difficulty

The difficulty increases as you progress, with each prison becoming just a little more intricate and more challenging to escape from than the previous. The prisons themselves get more complex with more obstacles to overcome such as tougher guards which results in more ways things can go wrong. The progress feels good and natural, as you're always building on what you learned in previous prisons to escape from the newest one. See More

Top Pro

Great pixel art style for retro fans

If you enjoy a more retro style, then this game is pure eye candy. Simple but charming, the pixel art is colorful, with the sprites having a nice variety in animations when they're shoveling, searching, running around, fighting, or partaking in any kind of activity that would require movement. The tile sets for the game world are nicely detailed, colored and shaded. You won't get tired of looking at the same tiles over and over due to the sheer amount and variety of the art assets created for the game. See More

Top Pro

Lots of replayability

No two games will play out alike. Each prison is an open sandbox, so it's definitely not a linear experience with a defined escape blueprint. Prisons can be replayed over and over to beat your previous time, measured in how many in-game days it took you to escape, which leaves plenty of room for trying new things on each successive playthrough. See More

Top Pro

Co-Op multiplayer mode adds a new depth to gameplay

Working together creates a whole new experience with loads of possibilities. In co-op mode, you play with up to 3 teammates either online or locally as you work towards escaping the prison together. This adds a whole new dynamic to gameplay as working together creates experiences that just aren't possible when playing solo. Someone could distract the guards, while another searches rooms for crafting materials. One player could run around collecting items, while another scopes out the guard's patrol patterns. Some can complete quests to collect money while others are working on digging tunnels. See More

Top Pro

A couple of alternative prisons add a change of scenery

Tired of bricks, cold floors, and cement cells? For those who want a change of scenery, there is a prison set in the wild west, and even a futuristic space prison. This adds a little bit of variety to the look of the game while keeping the same gameplay mechanics. It's a nice touch and gives your eyes a break from staring at the same tilesets over and over. See More

Specs

Platforms:Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, Linux, Mac

Genre:Sandbox, Role-Playing, Strategy, Simulation

Co-Op:4 Player Online / 2 Player Local

There are multiple weapons that Victor can equip, and each has a different set of abilities and are used in a way that is very different from how the other weapons are used. They really feel like separate classes. There is also a huge pool of equipment types (spells, etc.) that drop that supplement the various builds. Weapons and armor also have stats and qualities attached to them too. See More

72 11

score 69 · Answer 9

Victor Vran ARPG

Top Pro

Lots of different builds

Top Pro

Acrobatic gameplay

Victor Vran ARPG is unique in the genre in that it's a very acrobatic and dodge-oriented game. In order to get far, you're going to have to learn how to jump, dodge, and dive around (or even on to!) your enemies in order to survive. This aspect of the game really adds another level of fun to an already good game. See More

Top Pro

Funny Dialogue

As you progress through the various maps, you have a "ghost" that tags along with you and pokes fun at Victor, the situation, or sometimes even you. He has multiple pop culture references as well. See More

Top Pro

Incredibly diverse AI in monsters

The AI in Victor Vran is spectacular. It's randomized very well which leads to far less predictable enemies than other games in the genre, and it will really keep you on your toes which is a lot of fun. See More

Top Pro

Map Challenges provide extra challenge

Each map has a set of five challenges that reward you for completing them. They range from things you would normally do anyways to things that are so difficult really have to change up your approach to get them. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Mixed

69 22

score 201 · Answer 10

XCOM: Enemy Within

Top Pro

Turn based strategy works well on touchscreen devices

The gaming genre of turn based strategy lends itself very well to touch screen devices. It is actually easier to interact with the characters on screen with ones fingers instead of a mouse. See More

Top Con

Many crashing bugs

It may crash often when loading missions. See More

Top Pro

Enjoyable gameplay

XCOM sets the standard as to what to expect in turn based strategy gaming. Players use soldiers to fight off an alien invasion by utilizing cover, flanking and other strategy tactics to defeat the alien baddies on each level of grid based environments. See More

Top Con

Too expensive

Top Pro

Hardcore strategy gaming at it best on a mobile platform

For a series that is regarded as hardcore gaming even on PC, to see this franchise come to mobile is a godsend. See More

Top Con

Second half of game lacks as many options as first half

The second half of the game feels a bit lack luster in options when compared to the first half. See More

Top Pro

New upgrade resource

There is a new resource known as Meld that allows the user to purchase upgrades. See More

Top Pro

Cheaper than PC version

Epic game, same as PC version, for lower price. See More

Top Pro

Expansion on what was already a fantastic game

Enemy Within is and expansion on the classic Enemy Unknown. With Enemy Withing players are given new options such as maps, missions, enemies and of course the new Mech Suits. See More

Top Pro

Ethical choices effect long game

The choices the player makes from what kind of upgrades to use to what soldier to send where on a battle map will effect later game play. See More

Top Pro

Online multiplayer

There is support for asynchronous online multiplayer built into the game over Google Play Services. See More

Top Pro

Unexpected storyline

A strategy game such as this is often not expected to have a storyline, or if so, a good one. But this game has an interesting and surprising one. See More

Top Pro

Many upgrades

Many possibilities for upgrades are available in the game, which is impressive. Cybergenetics and genetics mods are some of the options you can use as upgrades in the game. See More

The game has interesting, multi-part boss battles. A lot of character to the fights is added by the impressive, grotesque boss monster designs. See More

201 56

score 42 · Answer 11

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2

Top Pro

Grand boss fights

Top Con

A departure from Castlevania series in key areas

Some aspects of the game are considerably different from the previous Shadow game. For example, combat is a lot more God of War than Castlevania and boss fights are a lot more Shadow of Colossus than Castlevania. See More

Top Pro

Impressive, flowing combat system

The game has a visceral, impactful free-flow fighting system that emphasizes counter-attacks, dodges and stringing combos with a variety of weapons and moves. See More

Top Con

Stealth sections feel out of place

The game has stealth sections that involve turning into a rat and getting from one place to another while avoiding detection, but the stealth gameplay is very barebones and feels very out of place in a Castlevania game. See More

42 4

score 40 · Answer 12

Gears of War 4

Top Pro

Local splitscreen multiplayer

Nowadays, some titles tend to exclude local multiplayer, focusing primarily on online play but Gears of War 4 is an exception. You can play both the campaign and all multiplayer modes with your friends via splitscreen. See More

Top Con

Poorly done story

The story has some cool moments, but it mostly focuses on pointless drama and issues that end up feeling like filler because they have no real impact on the story or character building. This coupled with a few plot holes will make you want to press the skip button and just get back into the action. See More

Top Pro

Really fun horde mode

Horde mode is a multiplayer co-op mode where up to 5 players try to survive against waves of enemies. It features regular combat and allows you to build fortifications, which you can do by collecting resources from killed enemies and using the fabricator. This allows you to build blockades, sentries, and various other defenses, giving it a very tower defense-esque feel, which is also a lot of fun. You can also choose between 5 classes with each class being better at something different. For example, the Engineer can build and repair defenses much faster than others and the Heavy uses stronger weapons that allow him to kill large enemies much faster. As a result, teamwork is very important, so when your squad is co-operating like a well-oiled machine, it just feels incredibly satisfying. See More

Top Pro

Exciting gameplay

In Gears of War you and a squad of several other soldiers fight against the enemies of humanity, using various weapons such as rifles, a shotgun, and even a weapon that fires saw blades. It's very fast paced and a lot of fun, rewarding not only effective use of cover and accurate shooting, but also quick decision making on when to charge your enemy and take them out with your knife or your chainsaw bayonet. This leads to a lot of very intense, sometimes brutal, and always satisfying battles, making Gears of War 4 a really enjoyable ride. See More

Top Pro

Excellent visuals

Gears of War 4 has some really outstanding visuals with high quality textures, great lighting, and excellent shadow mapping. This makes all of the armored human characters, monstrous lizard-like enemies, and the various lush landscapes filled with ruins look especially good. All of this is turned up a notch with the help of excellent weather effects, such as rain, lighting, and gusts of heavy wind that carry massive objects over your head, giving Gears of War 4 a very cinematic feel. See More

40 11

score 22 · Answer 13

Tower of Babel - no mercy

Top Pro

Fun for everybody and a rollercoaster of emotions!

In selfish and battle mode, the game sometimes seems like a sport! So many emotions! suspense, revenge, joy, laughter! See More

Top Con

Solo mode is limited

This is a multiplayer game first. You can play against bot in battle mode or find a game online. But this game is so fun when playing multiplayer. See More

Top Pro

Online mode

Playing the game against someone else on the internet is so much fun! You can't predict what they are going to do and want to fin d the best strategy See More

Top Pro

Easy to learn, but hard to master

Anyone can get the game in 2 minutes, however, we played hours of this game and still are finding new tactics and getting better. Each of the 8 different characters have super powerups that can combine. Having the best combo can be a huge advantage in a game! See More

Top Pro

Easy to play

Top Pro

Really fun

Specs

Genre:Party game

Co-Op:4 Players local / 4 Players online

Price:$ 9.99

# Players:1 to 4

The game only plays in 4:3, there is no widescreen support. See More

22 0

score 20 · Answer 14

Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition

Top Pro

Excellent story, well rounded abilities and insane combos

Top Con

Lacks widescreen support

Top Pro

Hardcore difficulty mode

New to the series is a hardcore difficulty mode that is meant for only the most extreme players. This adds a level of difficulty to the game for those that are interested. See More

Top Con

Terrible controller support

The default controls for the game with a controller do not work that well and will most likely require a third party fix. See More

Top Pro

New character with new gameplay mechanics

DMC 3 focuses on a new character, Dante's brother Vergil. Vergil offers a whole new moveset when compared to previous games, which makes the gameplay fresh for those that are familiar with the series. See More

Top Con

It's practically impossible to play with mouse and keyboard

A keyboard binding exists, but it is impossibly complicated for anyone to use. See More

20 3

score 100 · Answer 15

Wayward Souls

Top Pro

No in-app-purchases or paid updates, the game has a singular price for all of the content

Wayward Souls developer RocketCat Games has promised that there will never be any in-app-purchases added to the game nor will there ever be any paid updates. See More

Top Con

Can feel repetitive

Even though it is by design, having to repeat many of the same areas (despite being randomly generated) feels repetitive after a while, which can lead to boredom while playing. So it is up to the player how soon they will tire. See More

Top Pro

Choice of character class gives the chance for different strategy and playstyles as well as something to strive for by unlocking them

There is a total of six characters that can be used in game with three to start and three unlocked through playing and beating the games dungeons. Each one feels unique and will have a different playstyle that will have to be used, making for varied gameplay. See More

Top Pro

Good controller support makes for an easier way to control the game

Wayward Souls has support for MOGA controllers as well as HID bluetooth controller support. See More

Top Pro

Fantastic touch screen controls that are responsive and easy to use

The touch screen controls in Wayward Souls handle beautifully, something many mobile games struggle with but work quite well here making for an enjoyable control experience. See More

Top Pro

Easily played offline thanks to the game not needing an internet connection once installed

Wayward Souls allows for complete offline play, making for a good game to be played when there is no internet connection. See More

Specs

Genre:Adventure / RPG / Roguelike

Publisher:Noodlecake Studios Inc

Controller Support:MOGA / HID

There are a few different classes available at character creation, each one has it's own abilities that are different from the others. Creating one is quite simple, which makes for a fast way to get into the game and start playing. See More

100 18

score 225 · Answer 16

Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup

Top Pro

Simple character creation with different classes

Top Con

Have to fiddle with controls

Being that the game uses an emulated keyboard on screen it works best on tablet, though is not really the preferred method (but is the only one) since it takes up screen space. See More

Top Pro

Gold Standard for roguelikes

The controls and replayability have been refined over the years. Whether the player chooses to play with Tiles (graphics) or console (ASCII) the game works well even when choosing online or offline play. Either way there is just enough interface to play the game. See More

Specs

Platforms:Windows, Linux, Mac, Android

Publisher:barbs

Controller Support:None

File Size:19MB

You must plan your movements and attacks, paying attention to all enemy positions and their attacks. This makes for a game that the player can pore over their options, for as long as they like, which can be pretty enveloping. See More

225 34

score 310 · Answer 17

Hoplite

Top Pro

Deep gameplay that harkens back to chess or other grid based games, where planning and strategy take a front seat

Top Con

Short game

Hoplite does not take that long to complete as it can be finished in an average playthrough in around an hour. See More

Top Pro

Easy to understand the rules as any pertinent info is relayed before a move decision is needed

Someone called it "Chess, the roguelike". You have all the information before you move, every time. Enemies follow a simple ruleset, with no variation. There is almost no randomness. You know that you will die the turn before you do, and you will die because you painted yourself into a corner. See More

Top Pro

Great replay value thanks to the roguelike random generation

There is a good list of achievements, which creates a high replay value. It encourages the user to play very differently in subsequent replays. Which is great for keeping the game fresh. See More

Top Pro

Can be played at your own pace thanks to the turn based nature of the title

Hoplite is a turn based game, making for something that people can take their time with, deciding on their strategy for each move. See More

Top Pro

Extended gameplay when you finish the title, with the fun but difficult game+ gameplay mode

Starting on level 16, the altars get replaced by a portal. The player has the choice to "win" the game by exiting through the portal, or to ignore the portal on that level and venture deeper, aiming for higher scores on progressively more difficult floors. This is great for those that enjoy more challenge and extra content past the regular ending. See More

Top Pro

Well-balanced

Other, more popular, mobile roguelikes are far too random. A lot of people associate roguelikes with randomness, but a lot of effort goes into making sure that they provide consistently winnable games. When you lose a game it should be because you did something dumb, not because the RNG didn't deign it today. Hoplite nails this. See More

Top Pro

Large assortment of enemies keeps the gameplay and strategies required fresh

There is a wide array of enemies to encounter and fight, which keeps encounters fresh as well as the strategies needed. See More

Specs

Genre:Roguelike

Publisher:Magma Fortress

Controller Support:None

For just the medium difficulty setting there is hours upon hours of content, and that's even if you skip all the side quests and just focus on the main story. Plus there are two harder difficulties to try and in the near future a tool will come out which will let you build your own adventures as well as play other people's. See More

310 46

score 531 · Answer 18

Crashlands

Top Pro

Hours of content just in the main quest alone gives the player plenty to do

Top Con

Cloud saves not through Google services

An extra account will need to be used in order to take advantage of the cloud saving as it does not work with Googles solution to cloud saves. While this does allow for the cloud saves to work cross platform, people may not want to take the extra step to make a new account with Butterscotch Shenanigans. See More

Top Pro

Pleasing graphics that show off a well designed and polished game

The graphics look nice and you can tell time has been put into designing them. While not the most flashy, there is a certain style to the whole game that makes for a very cohesive experience. See More

Top Con

Not free game

Top Pro

Pick up from your last save, no matter the device you are using, thanks to the built in cloud saving

Playable on Android, iOS and PC you're able to transfer the one game between multiple devices (on same or different operating systems) and take it with you anywhere you go. with a Butterscotch ID (the devs self implemented cloud save system). See More

Top Pro

Excellent progression system where you never feel like you are grinding too much

Progression never feels sluggish or rushed, everything has a good pace to it from the farming of materials and grinding out the various components for the tons of items, to the incredibly unique combat/interaction system, it all blends well into a long gaming experience. See More

Top Pro

Hundreds items to craft in a deep and varied crafting system that will keep the user busy for hours and hours

There are over 500 items that can be crafted in the game, giving the player quite a lot to experiment with and explore when it comes to crafting items. See More

Top Pro

Great soundtrack that suits the humor and setting of the game quite well

A great mix of chill and energized music, that fits the setting of the game at all times. A pleasure to listen to on its own as well. See More

Top Pro

Multiple game modes

Once you've finished the basic mode there's also a challenging and insane mode for replayability. See More

Top Pro

Good writing

You don't need to read everything to enjoy the game but the writing is very good and really adds to the enjoyment. See More

Top Pro

Lots of entertaining pop-culture references

Specs

Genre:Adventure

Publisher:Butterscotch Shenanigans

Controller Support:Yes

The Android version of the game is a PC perfect port where in there have been zero changes to the gameplay or content. This is a full PC title on mobile. See More

531 86

score 38 · Answer 19

Sproggiwood

Top Pro

PC perfect port that actually holds up 1:1 to its PC counterpart

Top Con

No immersive mode

There is no immersive mode in the game which means the navigation bar will show taking up screen real estate on devices that do not have hardware navigation buttons. See More

Top Pro

Can be easily played offline thanks to no need for an internet connection once the game is installed

For those that like their games to work when there is no internet connection Spoggiwood is a good choice as it requires zero internet connection. See More

Top Con

Some may consider it expensive

Sproggiwood is priced at $10, which some may consider a high price point for mobile, though the game is a full PC title and priced $5 under the PC cost. A demo would have been a good option to try the game out, but sadly there is none available. See More

Top Pro

Good class choices that mixes up the strategy of the game quite well

There are six different available classes in the game, making for a different experience when each one is used due to their different skill sets. See More

Top Pro

Controller support

Top Pro

Fully supports all aspect ratios, so no worry about if the game fits your devices screen in full

Some games do not fully adapt to the wide range of aspect ratios available on Android devices (the 4:3 screen on the Nexus 9 being a standout with this issue) which leads to letterboxing of some kind. Sproggiwood does not have this issue as it support all aspect ratios. See More

Specs

Genre:RPG / Roguelike

Publisher:Freehold Games LLC

Controller Support:None